Trailblazers

Joe Tucci's Magic Turnaround Formula
May 13, 2013

I've been focused on and off on turnarounds since I covered IBM's from the inside out in the 1990s, so I don't know how I missed this, but EMC²'s turnaround was clearly a success, and its unique resulting organizational structure is incredibly subtle. The company is actually far more similar in breadth to HP than most folks realize, largely because they mix up EMC and EMC².

Years Inside Intel Could Be New CEO's Biggest Handicap
May 03, 2013

Intel announced Thursday that COO Brian Krzanich will take the helm on May 16, replacing current CEO Paul Otellini, who will retire this month after 38 years with the company, eight of them as its chief. Krzanich has his own long history at Intel. The 52-year-old joined the company 31 years ago as a newly minted college graduate.

BlackBerry's Heins Gives Tablets 5 Years to Live
April 30, 2013

BlackBerry CEO Thorstein Heins made some bold claims on Monday. For one, he predicted a big turnaround for the company, suggesting that BlackBerry could once again become the absolute leader in mobile computing. What raised more eyebrows, though, was Heins' prediction that in five years, tablets might be out.

Cook Replacement Rumors Smolder
April 22, 2013

Steve Jobs left big shoes to fill, and rumors circulated this week that Apple CEO Tim Cook may not be living up to expectations. This comes as Apple's stock closed at a 52-week low last Friday. Adding to the company's misery, Apple reportedly has earned the nickname "Poison Apple" with some Asian suppliers who are finding its high standards and low price expectations somewhat hard to meet.

Yahoo Investors Waiting to Exhale
April 18, 2013

Yahoo's latest earnings report was a mixed bag, and Wall Street didn't seem to know how it should react. Following Tuesday's report, the company's stock dropped slightly on Wednesday, then rose slightly and ended the day a tiny bit ahead. On Thursday, Yahoo shares were off by about 2 percent mid-day, in sync with the market overall.

Fusion Rocket Could Hurtle Astronauts to Mars in 30 Days
April 11, 2013

Scientists from the University of Washington and private company MSNW are working on a fusion-powered rocket that could slash the estimated four-year round trip from Earth to Mars to a maximum of 90 days. The technology might also make flights to Mars affordable. The launch cost alone of such a manned flight using chemical rocket fuel would be about $12 billion, according to UW.

Michael Dell Goes Into Safe Mode
April 01, 2013

Michael Dell, CEO of the PC maker that bears his name, may be considering a buyout offer from the Blackstone Group -- a bid that competes with a deal he put together himself -- but only with some serious strings attached. Apparently he not only wants the company to retain the Dell moniker, but also wants to remain in charge.

Zuckerberg Lobbies to Become a Bigger Difference Maker
April 01, 2013

It appears Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg is plunging into the controversial national debate on immigration reform. An issue-advocacy group he formed has hired two lobbying firms. It is unclear exactly what Zuckerberg's goals are, but he reportedly wants to push for comprehensive immigration reform, possibly including a path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants.

The Fall of Apple and the Return of BlackBerry
March 25, 2013

We tend to be slow to see change. If a company is on top, like Apple was, it takes a lot for us to see its fortunes have changed, as they clearly have post-Jobs. If a company is on the bottom, like BlackBerry was, it may be even tougher to see it on the rebound. We simply don't like the change in our worldview, and this isn't just with regard to companies but people as well.

FCC Chair Genachowski Calls It Quits
March 22, 2013

Julius Genachowski said Friday that he is stepping down as chairman of the Federal Communications Commission, a post he has held since 2009. During his tenure, Genachowski faced a number of important issues, including media consolidation, cable and telecom industry competition and cooperation -- and, most notably, a sharp debate over broadband spectrum.

The Z10 Has Arrived, and Thorsten Heins May Be a Miracle Worker
March 22, 2013

Times are changing for BlackBerry. The BlackBerry Z10 smartphone, which runs the new BlackBerry 10 operating system, has finally hit store shelves in the U.S. What's more, BlackBerry CEO Thorsten Heins has been taking swipes at Apple -- and no one is laughing in utter disbelief.

RIP Android: Google Loses Its Steve Jobs
March 18, 2013

Andy Rubin was Google's Steve Jobs, and with him now booted off the Android product, that platform in its current form will pass. It is kind of funny to see the spin on this, which suggests this was Andy's decision. Yeah right, and I'll be buying that bridge in Brooklyn shortly.

Android Mastermind Rubin to Turn His Thoughts Elsewhere
March 14, 2013

Andy Rubin, the man who helped maneuver Android into the No. 1 mobile OS position, is stepping down as head of Android at Google. Taking Rubin's place will be browser and applications chief Sundar Pichai. The reshuffling effectively folds Google's mobile OS, applications and Chrome browser into one operation.

Canonical: The Next Apple
March 14, 2013

Given all the legends surrounding Apple's widely mourned Steve Jobs, it's not entirely surprising that comparisons should be made any time another tech leader begins to resemble him in any way. Case in point: Mark Shuttleworth. The billionaire Canonical founder has actually been compared to Jobs on numerous occasions before, but lately the discussion was renewed afresh by a recent post on Linux Advocates.

The Employee Heroes at HP: Making an Impossible Turnaround
March 11, 2013

It is very difficult to pull off a turnaround. This is because you typically start with a company that is unprofitable and lacking the resources to compete. You have employees who are still on the job only because they haven't been able to find another one, and you're selling products that few want to buy. To successfully execute a turnaround, you need heroic employees who are willing to step up despite the problems.

Man Overboard: GNOME Cofounder Joins the Mac Side
March 11, 2013

It seems that the FOSS community sees its ranks expand just about every day, as new fans of free and open source software join the fold. What's much less common is to see former advocates of Linux and FOSS change their minds and depart. That's pretty much what happened last week, when GNOME cofounder Miguel de Icaza announced that he had abandoned desktop Linux in favor of Apple's Mac platform.

Marissa Mayer Takes Flak for Gathering Her Troops
March 02, 2013

It has been about a week since a bombshell internal memo from CEO Marissa Mayer was leaked to the world: Yahoo employees will no longer be allowed to telecommute, effective this June. The goal of the new policy is to foster creativity and better productivity, Mayer said. If she hoped for a 24-hour news cycle on the subject, she's been disappointed.

Mason Marches, Groupon Regroups
March 01, 2013

A day after posting disappointing quarterly earnings, Groupon ousted its founder and CEO Andrew Mason. The company's stock jumped 4 percent in after-hours trading as the news became public. "I've decided that I'd like to spend more time with my family. Just kidding -- I was fired today. If you're wondering why... you haven't been paying attention," Mason said in a letter to employees.

Cook Cheers Investors While Saying Very Little
February 28, 2013

CEO Tim Cook presided over Apple's annual shareholder meeting on Wednesday, where he fielded questions about a lawsuit filed by activist investor David Einhorn. In his complaint, Einhorn demanded that Apple unbundle scheduled votes that he claimed would require shareholders to consider separate matters in one ballot. Cook called the lawsuit "silly," but the judge ruled in favor of Einhorn.

Yahoo's New Home Page Goes for Lean, Clean Look
February 20, 2013

Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer is putting her money -- or rather her shareholders' money -- where her mouth is. Mayer has been proclaiming Yahoo's mission of becoming a must-visit daily portal equally accessible via PCs and mobile devices. To that end, the company unveiled a redesign of its website on Wednesday.